Russian GP 2017 - Race Thread

After many years I am getting those good feelings about Ferrari that i had in the beginning of the Golden Years. I am trying to keep my emotions in check, but it looks feels and is different in a good way this season. Not been excited like this before a race in long time.
FORZA FERRARI

Sebastian Vettel’s race engineer Ricardo Adami hailed the performance of his driver in the qualifying session for the 2017 Russian GP after the German went on to claim his first pole position since the 2015 Singapore GP.

Vettel collected his 47th pole position of his career with yesterday’s success. This pole also means Ferrari’s long pole position's drought ended. It was the Italian team’s first pole since the 2015 Singapore GP and its first front row lock-out since the 2008 French GP.

“It was a tough qualifying, but we stayed focused. Seb was great, despite the lap wasn’t perfect, but that’s okay,” said Adami.

Vettel completed excessive race preparation on Friday which indicated that the SF70-H also behaves very well in race trim. However, Mercedes showed very promising long run pace with Valtteri Bottas behind the wheel. Adami is confident that Ferrari can pose a challenge to Mercedes in the race as well.

“We worked especially on the set-up for the race, so the car should be fine tomorrow. But finger crossed, we never know.’

Ferrari set the pace on a track where Mercedes-powered cars dominated the action since its inception in 2014. The never-ending straights, the full-throttle corner of the first sector, the heavy acceleration zones all favoured the peak power advantage of the Mercedes power unit.

Ferrari is believed to have closed the gap to the field-leading Mercedes regarding the power unit. However, Mercedes’ dominance in the power-dominated first sector of Sochi and Bahrain indicates that the Anglo-German manufacturer still has the upper hand in terms of peak power, at least in qualifying modus.

SOCHI, Russia -- Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have downplayed the prospect of Ferrari team orders dictating the outcome of the Russian Grand Prix after the team's stunning one-two in qualifying.

Ferrari secured a front-row lockout for the first time since 2008 in Russia by beating Mercedes pair Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton in qualifying. With Ferrari top of the constructors' championship, Vettel leading Hamilton in the drivers' championship -- by seven points -- and with strategy options limited around Sochi due to reduced tyre degradation, it seems like a perfect opportunity to extend the points gap in both.

After just three races Vettel's 68 points are double Raikkonen's tally but the German expects Ferrari will let them fight fairly for the victory, regardless of the implication it may have on the title fight.

"I think it's simple," Vettel said when the team orders question was raised after qualifying. "If I'm in front then he wants to pass me, if he's in front I want to pass him. I don't think it makes any sense to ask for help from outside.

"We know that we're free to race and that's what I believe and I know we're both here to do. Today obviously was very close, I expect it to be very close tomorrow and we see how the race goes."

Raikkonen then added: "No more to say about it. We know what we do and we race for Ferrari and that's it."

In previous years, Ferrari has not shied away from imposing team orders on its drivers when engaged in a title fight, infamously telling Felipe Massa "Fernando is faster than you" at the 2010 German Grand Prix as a coded message to let teammate Fernando Alonso take the lead and the win. Some questioned why they were not used at this year's Chinese Grand Prix when Vettel found himself stuck behind Raikkonen at a crucial stage of the race, helping Hamilton build a big lead out in front which Vettel ultimately never came close to overturning once he had dispatched his teammate.

Speaking ahead of the weekend, Hamilton himself said team orders should only be used in "special circumstances", which he felt was the case in Bahrain when Mercedes asked Bottas to move over to let him past.

Conspicuous by its absence at the official post-qualifying press conference, the British media 'hack pack' clearly didn't want to hear the thoughts of Messrs Vettel, Raikkonen or Bottas, preferring instead to console Lewis Hamilton on his fourth place grid slot and further pressurise Mercedes into adopting team orders in favour of the Briton.

Meanwhile, the Italian media, just as nationalistic as its British equivalent but not quite as dismissive of Giovanni Foreigner, was questioning the Ferrari duo following the team's first front row lock-out since France 2008.

Bathing in the afterglow of the achievement, Kimi Raikkonen was somewhat taken aback when veteran Italian journo Andrea Cremonesi of La Gazzetta dello Sport went and spoiled it all.

"The only negative, if you can say that it's negative, point of this weekend is that you have to again change the turbocharger and it's the third element. Do you believe that it will be an issue for the end of the season?" he innocently asked.

"You're always very good to always find negative things about us," responded the Finn.

"He's Italian, he should be over the moon," added Vettel, his mischievous side as quick to surface as his lap time.

"Everybody in Italy I'm sure is very happy now and you're the only Italian in the world that finds a reason to be negative. You should be ashamed."

While Kimi remained serious, telling Cremonesi: "It's a planned change and I'm sure we'll be fine with it..." Vettel was on fire. "Maybe I think you will have a great chance to get a German passport because usually Germans always find a reason to complain," he said.

"If there's a hard time when you get back to Italy you're welcome to Germany."

I'm just wondering if the Mercedes will be able to get their tytes up to temp for the first couple of laps as if they can't then they might be jumped by RIC or Massa which is a good thing from our point of view, also wih the Ferraris starting from the front at least they can stay out of any potential issues at turn 2 like vettel getting hit last year

From previous year's starts, it looks like the person starting 2nd is the most vulnerable into turn 2 with slip streaming from a fast starting car in 03rd in the grid (Bottas). Too many variables at the start but hopefully Seb and Kimi will work together to protect each other's starting position in Lap 1 and then have a race between themselves for the win!

My concerns are: merc have a top speed advantage - and an advantage in sector 1 & 2. If we can remain ahead, our advantage in sector 3 will help us get out of the DRS zones in later laps, but his is going to be a tough start! I'm prepared for the worst, hoping for the best.